1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bone plating system and/or implant card having at least one or a plurality of plates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various plates have long been used for the fixation of cranial and other boned following surgery or fracture. Exemplary examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,201,737; 5,578,036 and 4,503,848. Plates are commonly provided in multi-component kits comprising plates of various sizes and shapes to conform to the specific anatomical or patho-anatomical need.
Recently, there has been increasing emphasis on the costs of providing such kits to hospitals. Additionally, there are cost and safety concerns about the need to re-sterilize kits. Finally, there is a need to consistently re-inventory partially used kits which requires significant labor.
What is needed, therefore, is a convenient, inexpensive, single use kit or system containing the basic plating components needed for a specific surgical procedure, such as a craniotomy procedure.
It is therefore desired to provide a bone plating system and implant card that overcomes one or more of the problems in the prior art.